The recovery from Hurricane Irma’s Sept. 10 landfall will be a long one. Hundreds of homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Some well-known attractions were hard-hit. It could take up to six months to clear all streets of downed trees and stacked-up horticultural debris.

On the flip side as season approaches, we’re anxious for as much normalcy as possible to return to the area so visitors still come here and have an enjoyable enough stay that they want to spend a bunch of money. Tourism and hospitality remain a linchpin of our economy and local leaders are emphasizing: “We’re open for business.”

Are those messages in conflict? We’d submit they’re not. Have we sustained loss in Southwest Florida? No question. But this is not a matter of what we have lost. It’s a matter of all that we still have.

What we have

Hurricane Irma didn’t destroy the weather we’ll experience from November to April. That’s a major drawing card for outdoor enjoyment and activities.

The sun still sets to the west. The coast from Marco Island to Naples to Bonita Springs offers some of the most resplendent sunsets you’ll see anywhere. That won’t change.

Some beaches may be eroded, but we still have miles of sandy stretch that many destinations don’t offer. At the same time, Collier County offers the other natural extreme inland in the uniqueness of the western Everglades. Irma aside, we’re still flanked to the west and east by the finest nature any place can offer.

Another favorite pastime for visitors is dining out. The Naples and Marco Island areas are known for some of the best restaurants around. Some may not be what they were, or be open. But how is that any different historically? Every time we’ve seen a popular restaurant close for one reason or another through the years, we’ve seen another favorite or two take its place. Yet many choice dining places are still here – even hurricanes Charley, Wilma and Irma couldn’t shut them down.

Some well-known resorts or hotels in the Naples-Marco Island area are closed, but what’s different about that? In recent years, before Irma, they’ve been closed at times to modernize and update.

Volunteers and staffs are hard at work to address what Irma did to some of our cultural amenities from Artis–Naples to Naples Zoo and botanical attractions in East Naples and Bonita Springs. Look for significant progress by the time season arrives.

Yes, we’ve had flooding in several hundred structures. In tens of thousands, though, we didn’t.

Passers-by will see some downed trees and damaged landscape as they drive around. At least they’ll be driving past, not sitting in a traffic parking lot that is familiar to anyone who has traveled Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale or Miami roads.

For locals

As we edge toward season, there are some reminders we hope locals keep in mind.

Let’s be patient as horticultural debris is cleared. As was explained to Collier commissioners this past week, it’s being done systematically – areas near hospitals, major roads, schools, etc., first.

Some 37,000 people in Collier work directly or indirectly in hospitality, Wert says. That’s more than one of every 10 residents working in an industry that is economically vital to our region. So it’s sound economic sense to have cleanup of visitor areas prioritized.

Let’s also remember the difference between tourists and seasonal residents. Those out-of-state license plates may be linked to taxpaying, seasonal property owners affected by Irma too.

Season always requires patience, but this year more than usual. Our best advice? Think about all that we still have, not what we’ve lost.